Exclusive Interview with Bare Dreams

Pop-punk band Bare Dreams is based out of Tel Aviv, Israel and provides a new and unusual sound inspired by recent and retro punk and alternative music. The band consists of Itay Aviv, Eldar Moshe, Roee Berezowitz and Itamar Hayuth. I got the chance to talk with them about how they came together, their sound, their new EP Au Revoir, what they nerd out about and so much more. Keep reading to see what they had to say!

For those who might not have heard of Y’all, can you give us a brief history of the band and how it culminated into what it is now?

Itay Aviv: Sure! It started off as an acoustic duo that included me (Vocals/Guitar) and Eldar (Drums/Vocals). Roee (Lead Guitar/Vocals) and Itamar (Bass) were always great friends of ours and after a year as a duo, we felt it was about time to start doing what we truly love. The line-up change enabled us to recreate ‘Bare Dreams’ and get that unusual and unique sound that we dreamt of.

Bare Dreams is one heck of a name for the band. How did it come about?

IA: Way back when I had just started writing and recording music, I was looking for a name for my Cubase projects. I [decided to] name them ‘Bare Dreams’ and it just stuck with me since then.

You guys are based out of Tel Aviv. How much does Tel Aviv play a role in the music you create, whether it be referenced in the lyrics or just the overall sound of your music?

IA: Actually, we all live in small, quiet towns around Tel Aviv. Growing up in these areas gave us the option of creating music without all the noise and distractions you might experience while living the ‘city life.’

How would you describe your sound without using genre names?

IA: Drama movies with loud drums, warm bass, and cutting distortion.

Let’s talk a little bit about your new EP. What’s the story behind the album’s name, Au Revoir?

IA: The whole EP talks about losing someone you love. Au Revoir takes you on a journey – from the moment you feel that things are starting to fall apart through the phase of not accepting this with all the self-anger; it ends with an acceptance and saying goodbye. I wrote most of the lyrics about a close friend of mine that I lost to cancer. Losing him was extremely hard for me.

How long did it take for this EP to come together? Was it a fairly easy process or was this EP years in the making?

IA: I guess it was an easy process… it took a year from the pre-production until the release date (May 25th). Most of the songs were originally written on an acoustic guitar, so we just had to rearrange them to a full band form.

Talk about your writing process for this EP. Did you guys write these songs by yourselves or did you collaborate with other writers?

IA: We write everything totally on our own. I usually write the idea. It can be a guitar riff, a chorus, or anything, and then we rearrange it together.

The most recent single from the EP is called “Birthdays.” What was the inspiration behind that song?

IA: This song describes the hopelessness in watching someone you love move on as you try to pick up the pieces and forget about him.

Since we just talked about being inspired to write songs, who are some of your musical influences when it comes to songwriting but also just in terms of the sound of the music you create?

IA: Every one of us has our own influences and were pretty different from each other. I grew up on a lot of Post-Rock and Emo music so that’s my main influence. My Chemical Romance and This Will Destroy You are two of my main influences in writing music.

Eldar: I’m more of a punk-rock/pop-punk guy. Yet, a lot of my drum parts are influenced from funk and hip-hop; those are also genres I really like. Let’s say Blink 182 beats with some Gospel chops.

Roee: I’m listening to everything from jazz to hardcore punk, so I guess I don’t have a certain influence. It depends on the musical situation. If I had to pick, I’d say Biffy Clyro is my main influence.

Itamar: From Propagandhi to The Meters and everything in between. I try to learn from everything I hear and love.

Is there a track of yours from this EP you feel best represents who you guys are as a band?

IA: We don’t think so. Every one of us has gone through different situations in their lives. That’s the beautiful thing about this EP. Anyone can relate to a song from it.

Last question — we’re called Talk Nerdy With Us because we all have an inner-nerd. What is something you nerd out about?

IA: Fun Facts – Itamar reads one Wikipedia entry every day, Roee loves everything about Nano electricity, Itay is a huge coffee nerd and Eldar is a real soccer nerd.

For more information, make sure you visit Bare Dreams’ website or follow them on Facebook and Instagram. Their EP, Au Revoir, is available for purchase & streaming on all digital platforms.